Le Misanthrope at La Comedie Francaise!

Scurrying around this morning, a bustling Saturday, I first stopped at a wedding exposition with my friend Elizabeth, who is getting married this summer. She tried on one wedding dress, then we decided the shop was getting too busy, so we went to the Bastille to walk down by the Saint Martin canal, little did we know there was rioting going on in the square. It was some sort of “speaking out against aids and poverty” movement...thank heavens for free speech I suppose is what I should say. Then, the best part of the week, we were able to attend Le Misanthrope at La Comédie Française! The most well known theater in France, and where the very greatest playwrights and actors performed. The acting was unlike any other: I’ve never seen such passion in the pleading, grimacing, protesting, and even just the regular dialogue. Three hours of intensity, it was truly professional. This is said to be the very best of Moliere’s plays, according to himself and critics, yet I still prefer L’école des Femmes. It could be due to the fact that this is his only tragedy, the rest are comedies. Anyhow, it was a once in a lifetime experience. Luckily, there was one extra ticket, so Madame Welch allowed my friend Orélly from the ward to join us. I then visited the Arc du Triomphe along with every other weekend tourist or couple :) haha. Still neat to look at though, maybe I should have coughed up the five euros to go to the top, who knows. Well, since by that point I can’t remember the last time I had real protein, I stopped at an Algerian restaurant in my town to get…honestly, I won’t even try to guess..It was some sort of wrap concoction with about 12 things mixed in, and delicious. My books are sending me guilty vibes so I’d better get to them. A demain..

Bend it like Beckham...s'il vous plait..3.26.08

Bend it like Beckham! Last night a bunch of the girls and I went to the France vs. England soccer game! It’s a big deal seeing as they’re both top ten teams here. Beckham played for England, which was awesome to see, but of course I was rooting for France. They won, no contest, but it was a blast to watch! #22 for France, Henri Ribery was so great; he moved his feet faster than I though humanly possible! One of the French newscasters passed away the night before, so there was a moment of silence dedicated to him at the game. 49, heart attack, and three kids..tragic. On a happier note, today Brother Welch invited me to a conference on Mormonism with him and we did some major networking! The leaders of the CES in France were there along with leaders of other faiths. It was great to get out there and it was also fun having Brother Welch, who is so well known say, “Now have you met my student Haleigh?” I have learned more from him in one semester than I’ve ever learned in a religion class. Tomorrow I’ll write more about what he taught us in class today, it was incredible. A demain..

weekend merveilleux avec jeunes adultes à Nogent!

I had a marvelous weekend at the young single adults’ conference which was held in Nogent. People came from absolutely everywhere! We started out playing a speed-dating type game getting to know everyone and I met people from Marseilles, Toulouse, Alsace, Strasbourg, Geneva, Neuchatel, etc... I was excited to meet Lydia’s best friend Claire, from Bordeaux. We had a fantastic fireside given by Brother Welch in English while Frère Euvrard translated. It was touching to once again, go over the significance of the Savior’s role as the Good Samaritan in the parable. Then, the funniest thing happened! I was talking to a girl from Geneva and asked her if she knew the Gaggini family, explaining that Michel Gaggini was one of my close friends: she said, yes, but I should go talk to two boys across the room; it just so happened that one of them was Pascal Gaggini, Mitch’s brother! Ha-ha…It was an absolute pleasure to meet him, already having heard much about their family. Having the chance to sing in the Young Adult choir that the missionary couple put together to go along with the Good Samaritan fireside was neat. While talking with a new friend, Elliot, I learned that missionary work is really progressing in certain areas in France quite quickly. There was a baptism yesterday and two more scheduled. Yesterday being Easter morning, there were more French than usual on the metros, many dressed up for mass and for most, the only day of church each year. This morning, we rejoined together and did a treasure hunt all over Paris ending at the Eiffel Tower. It snowed, luckily only for a moment. I’d better get studying! A bientôt!

A Good Friday on Good Friday..

What a beautiful day…though I must say, the weather here in Paris is just plain moody. This morning, being Good Friday, was the revealing of the crown of thorns at Notre Dame. Personally, I don’t believe that it could be the original, and maybe I’m too cynical: they claim it was acquired by Saint Louis, King of France, from Baudouin de Courtenay, Latin Emperor of Constantinople, in the 13th century, and before being entrusted to the cathedral after the Revolution, was kept in secret in Sainte Chapelle. I suppose it’s the symbolism that’s important though. Well, I arrived early to be sure to get a good look, and was ushered to the line toward the priests, and upon viewing the crown, it was customary, no, expected, to bend and kiss it! I watched the woman in front of me and followed suit of course, but what an experience! It is enclosed in plastic tubing and sanitized after each person but it truly was fascinating to see the devotion of the French, considering that this is one of only two occasions each year they attend religious gatherings. I thoroughly enjoyed the gothic organ music though so stayed listening to it while reading my Book of Mormon sections. Continuing on a somber note, I visited the Père Lachaise Cemetery, the biggest in France and full of many historically prominent men and women. Naturally I stopped to pay homage to Moliere: studying his plays this semester has been so enjoyable and I have grown to realize what a genius he was. He and Fontaine, two of France’s greatest pens besides Victor Hugo, are buried next to each other. Chopin was next on the list, and ironically, Jim Morrison followed. The French joke that there’s no need for a map to find his grave; so many people commemorate his memory by smoking weed, one must simply follow the scent. The cemetery is over 100 acres and not somewhere I’d ever like to be after sundown! I laughed remembering when Rob, Cody and I snuck into Provo cemetery and getting the willies when a bat flew overhead; yet, it holds quite a different significance with some of France’s most renowned murderers and patriots underfoot, I’d never dare trespass here. Next I decided to venture into the Jewish Quarter of Paris. I passed several Orthodox men in their garb and many Jewish shops and houses with stars of David over the threshold. Well, I thought I’d be daring and try the local grub; was that ever an adventure! I think every time I bit into the pita I found a new color or ingredient; some recognizable, some not. There was some sort of unidentifiable meat under rice and some tasteless brown moist vegetables, chickpeas, several vegetables, a sauce with bright purple something-or-others, haha. It was gushing everywhere so I was leaning over a garbage can-receiving strange looks from passersby. Well, it wasn’t until I was relaying this to Eurah, my roommate, that I realized, the Parisians probably thought I took the sandwich from out of that garbage can and was eating it! :D The demolished state it was in must have looked like remains…oh dear. C’est la vie. Tomorrow is the first day of the enormous Young Single Adults conference at Nogent-sur-Seine. There should be several great speakers, a really fun dance and activities. A bientôt!

An Unforgettable Excursion...

What a week & where to begin! Tuesday morning I left for an excursion with my class. I arrived first at Omaha beach in Normandy. I had no idea Hugh Nibley was here on D-Day and was a correspondent-he spoke perfect German. The museum was touching portraying the great degree of destruction and loss. This is the first battle where we went in from behind enemy lines using parachutes. Dwight Eisenhower was the commander in chief at the time. I then walked down to Utah Beach-it has been left untouched so the terrain is marred with crater-like scars from the bombings. Ensuite, I saw the Bayeux Tapestry. It was full of symbolism and enormous!-Longer than a football field and depicting the life of William the Conqueror. I spent the rest of the day at Saint Malo, a quaint sea port village. The village is walled, so I walked the perimeter. There were also some old war bunkers on the shore, so I explored those and the cathedral with my friend Elizabeth. That evening, eleven girls and myself decided we should try the renowned seafood in the region and walked to a beautiful restaurant. We all felt gutsy enough to try escargot-and I’m thrilled to say, the taste of a snail is much better than the thought of eating one! There is so much garlic that there’s no image of it crawling down the sidewalk. ..Wednesday, I had an unexpected and incredible spiritual experience. We arrived at Mont Saint Michel in the morning for a tour, with a guide who spoke several languages, named Catarina. I walked next to her and the Welch’s and she asked after the first few rooms, “Why are you so different? Your group is so different?” In the next room, the acoustics were beautiful and it was too early for many tourists, so someone suggested we sing a hymn. Catarina gave us permission, so we began; within moments this composed French woman’s eyes were tearing up, and by the last verse, all the tourists passing through stopped and watched. When we finished, she and a few others said, “Chantez encore, s’il vous plaît…” The only other French hymn we knew how to harmonize was Je suis enfant de Dieu-I am a child of God, and that one was received just as well. Obviously Mont Saint Michel is a holy place, but I never expected to feel the spirit. We had to continue, but she was trying to figure out what was so different about us. I told her, “We believe that our hymns are, in fact, prayers to God.” She said, “Yes, I know. I can feel that.” Madame Welch told her, “Just because we’re not Catholic Catarina, we are still believers.” She asked us to sing twice more during our visit. When we finished, she treated us to cookies in the town and Brother Welch suggested I offer her something to remember us by, I asked if he had an extra French hymnal, he ‘just so happened’ to have one, and a Book of Mormon. By this point I was terrified because the first time I gave a Book of Mormon away was six years ago in Rouen, France and the woman was offended and returned it. But, taking a deep breath, Diane and I took Catarina aside and I said, “We’d like to leave you with a gift-our songs and our beliefs.” She replied, “I can’t read the notes, but I love the words…and this (she gripped the Book of Mormon)...I am very interested in this and seeing what makes you so different.” I thought I was going to faint and was squeezing Diane’s hand so tightly…I now understand why missionaries in France often have a hard time-to penetrate the shell of the French is difficult, but when it happens, it’s incredible. The great news is that there are missionaries in Cannes who are going to seek her out as soon as possible.
..Thursday, we started our visits to the castles of the Loire Valley; what an entirely different perspective than Paris! The history behind all six that we saw was so fun. I came to France thinking I would fill some sort of void of knowledge yet in fact, have just initiated the desire to learn more and more! I have become such an enthusiast of Jeanne D’Arc-Joan of Arc. What a woman-I’m dying to read Mark Twain’s biography of her. Even President Faust believed her to be inspired. I passed the wall she jumped over when preparing her troops for battle. My favorite historic chateau was probably Chenonceau. It is considered the women’s castle because of the notorious Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitier who reigned there. Picturesquely speaking, Chambord was impressive. It would be a dream to wander the grounds all day either on horse of by foot.
Friday..We spent the night in the Convent Bon Pasteur. It was so neat to eat, talk, and stay with the nuns. Some wore their habits, some didn’t. They are wonderful women from all over who dedicate their lives to prayer and service. The one I spoke with was Sri Lankan. We visited the Tapestry of the Apocalypse later that day. Waking up early, we went to Leonardo de Vinci’s home which was a fun experience! Many people don’t get past his art to see his inventions, sketches, and philosophy. His home was filled with his quotes, and all the inventions he’d sketched out, a modern man built and they're displayed! Of the citations, my favorite was, “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
Saturday..Our last day was packed full, but my favorite part was visiting Chartres cathedral and hearing Brother Welch discuss the Good Samaritan window. I was fascinated to learn that the parable is actually an allegory of the plan of salvation! I had no idea. It is one of the few that we have an explanation for. I’d always thought that the Priest and Levite who pass the fallen man (Adam, who represents all of us) ignored him insensitively, when in fact it was that they couldn’t help him. The circumstance necessitated a Savior, the Savior to come. I wish I knew the stories behind every foot of the 25,000 square feet of stained glass.

Bordeaux: Amis, Arias, Amazing

3.9.08...Bonjour! I spent a superb weekend in Bordeaux! Arriving Thursday evening, I wanted to jump off the tram at every neat sight on the route to the Defranchi home. It was a pleasure to finally meet them! Marina and Sylvia treated me just like a sister and Alexis and Catherine couldn’t have been more hospitable! Friday morning Sylvia gave me the grand tour of Bordeaux! The cathedral Pay Berland, the Rue Saint Catherine, the best shops and treats, we even stopped at the town fair and rode one free fall attraction. Inevitably, I took a picture on the ‘tourist tortoise.’ We ate an Arab kebab in the center of town. Ensuite, the evening was an absolute delight-Alexis asked permission of the director of the opera for me to watch the dress rehearsal of the Faust opera that begins next week! It is rare that the public is allowed, but I was privileged to see the first half with the full orchestra…there are not words enough to describe! It was unbelievable! The voices were more powerful than any I’d ever heard; intense enough to bring tears to the toughest of souls. It was so moving, I was sad to leave. But, the next morning, Alexis sang the aria Turandot by Puccini for me! Saturday afternoon, my friend Romy invited me over, and cooked me a yummy fish lunch. We then waltzed all through the streets of Bordeaux. The shops ranged from Chinese knockoffs to Hermes there is a fee just to enter the store! I especially loved the dress shops and ‘habitat’ - the Pottery Barn of France. She had me taste cannelé a specialty cinnamon tasting bread of Bordeaux. En plus, gave me a darling pair of earrings to remind me of the city. The trip passed quickly but was well worth it! I am now back in Paris and this week will be traveling to Normandy and the Loire Valley. Bonsoir…

March forth..or fourth..haha

3.4.2008…In Frère Euvrard’s class we talked about the Church’s growth in France. In the area, they’re advising members to use all church facilities to maximum capacity because at the cost of 1 church in Europe, 47 can be built in Africa. Staggering. He also mentioned that though we consider the LDS church ‘international,’ we really won’t have achieved that until the natives are presiding internationally, not Americans leading the congregations. Once membership strength and activity increases enough to have the locals govern themselves, then we’ll really have achieved something.
I discussed Brother Welch’s opinion on the war chapters since I’ve always had a hard time understanding their importance. He said that for one thing, I must remember how important war was in the ancient world. It was literally a matter of life and death for whole civilizations. Also to consider that in the ancient world, "war" was seen as a manifestation of God's will: when you won, it was God who gave you the victory. When you lost, it was because God was unhappy with you. With those keys, the war chapters become much more revealing as manifestations of God's will. From a modern ethical point of view, the best and the worst of human character comes out under the stress of war, so the war chapters can also be seen as clear lenses through which to view humanity and human nature. Quite enlightening I thought…A demain…

The World's Largest Flea Market..

It has been a culturally enriching weekend thus far! Last night a few of us girls caught a movie: La fille et les loups (The girl & the wolves). Due to the fact that true theater is so popular, the movie theaters are tiny-as in 4 rows. The premise was that she aimed to be the first female veterinarian but in reality, she had a certain understanding with the wolves. The cinematography was quite enthralling and it ended well, but nothing like the American romances I’m used to. This morning I ventured out into the world’s largest flea market, in the outer region of Paris. Let’s just say, there’s a reason there are parts one shouldn’t carry valuables. Yet, the upscale parts sold gorgeous chandeliers and antique furniture for a pretty penny. I got a kick out of this pair of shoes-it took my idea of “platforms” to a whole new level. I decided today that I shouldn’t let my lack of artistic talent get in the way of me trying my hand at it and learning. After all, I am surrounded by the works of the masters. For my first attempt, I chose a stained glass window and sketched the outline and plan to color it later. A bientôt!